Jagersfontein - Past and present 1870-1904

Jagersfontein - Past and Present 1870-1904 (in Engels)

Sowat 110km Suid-wes van Bloemfontein lê die klein dorpie Jagersfontein. Vandag is dit 'n rustige plattelandse dorpie, maar effens meer as 'n eeu gelede was dit die tuiste van duisende mense. Die rede: diamante! In 1870 ontdek 'n boer genaamd De Klerk die eerste diamant, maar hoewel daar gou heelwat delwers was, het daar aanvanklik nie veel diamante die lig gesien nie. Met die ontdekking van diamante elders het baie van die delwers padgegee en dit was eers in die laat 1870's dat die dorpie regtig begin groei het. Die myn - aanvanklik grootliks per hand uitgegrawe - het al dieper geword.  Uiteindelik sou twee van die wereld se tien grootste diamante uit hierdie myn kom - die Excelsior (±972 karaat, in 1893) en sowat twee jaar later die Reitz (later herdoop as die  Jubilee) van sowat 640 karaat. 

Hierdie boekie dek egter nie net die vroeë geskiedenis van die myn nie. Aandag word  bv. ook gegee aan die koerante van die tyd - die "Free State Argus", "The Mining Record", "The Mining Gazette", "The Advertiser", "The Mercury" en "The Clarion". Insgelyks word daar ook verwys na die hotelle wat so 'n kenmerk van die dorp was. Die bestuur van die dorp word ook deeglik bespreek. Pragfotos van 'n groot aantal van die aanvanklike bestuurslede asook belangrike persone in die dorp vul die storielyn mooi aan. Daar is ook talle fotos van die ou geboue, die strate, hospitaal, kerke en winkels van daardie jare. 

Hierdie boekie is 'n werklike kleinnood vir enigiemand wat in Jagersfontein belangstel.

Bladsye:   45

Formaat:  Aflaaibare PDF (±8mb, ge-zip)

Jagersfontein - Past and Present 1870-1904   (in English)

Some 110km South-west of Bloemfontein lies the small town Jagersfontein. Today it is a peaceful rural town, but just more than a century ago it was a bustling town which was home to thousands. The reason: diamonds! In 1870 a farmer discovered the first diamond, but although other "diggers" arrived soon after, they also left somewhat quickly, when richer pickings called. It was only in the late 1870's that the town really came into its own. The mine, largely dug by hand, grew deeper and deeper. Eventually two of the ten largest diamonds ever discovered in the world would come from this mine - the 972 carat Excelsior in 1893 and the 640 carat Reitz (later renamed the Jubilee) some two years later.

The book doesn't, however, just cover the early history of the Jagersfontein mine. Attention is, for instance, also paid to the newspapers of the time (the "Free State Argus", "The Mining Record", "The Mining Gazette", "The Advertiser", "The Mercury" and "The Clarion"). Similarly, attention is given to the hotels which were such a feature of the town, while the "doings" of the early town management committees are also discussed. The well-written text is complemented by a number of photographs of the public figures, buildings, streets, hospital, churches and stores of that era.

This highly readable book is truly a treasure for those interested in the history of Jagersfontein.

Pages:   45

Format:  Downloadable PDF (±8mb, zipped)